Field
The present application relates to mechanically-vibrating, high-transconductance devices and methods for fabricating the same.
Background Art
Electromechanical devices have numerous applications across many fields of art and such devices can be utilized for creating oscillators, resonators, mass sensors, force sensors, position sensors, accelerometers and switches, just to name a few. Furthermore, it is desirable to create small devices, on the order of microns or nanometers. Such devices are often referred to as microelectromechanical devices (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical devices (NEMS). However, in many applications it can be extremely difficult to fabricate such devices due to the very small scales involved.
Graphene, is famed in a hexagonal lattice of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms. One property of graphene is that it allows for the etching of silicon dioxide from underneath a graphene layer placed on the surface of the silicon dioxide. Further, the etching process is accelerated underneath the graphene and it has also been found that graphene is not permeable to some etchants, such as hydrofluoric acid. Graphene has also been found to have other beneficial properties such as high stiffness, low mass density and high transconductance, making it an ideal material for use in MEMS or NEMS device application and also in fundamental studies of small scale mechanics.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for fabricated electromechanical devices that make use of the high transconductance and other properties of graphene and for techniques for fabricating the same.